Holder and deliverer for drinking-straws.



R. M. REID.

HOLDER AND DELIVERER FOR DRINKING STRAWS. APPLICATION FILED AUG. 3,1912.

1,062,503. Patqanted May 20, 1913.

7 produced.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ROBERT MITTARD REID, OF COLORADO SPRINGS, COLORADO.

HOLDER A ND DELIVERER FOR DRINKING-STRAWS.

Application filed August 3, 1912. Serial No. 713,151.

To all whom it mag concern:

Be it known that I, ROBERT M. Run), a citizen of the United States, anda resident of Colorado Springs, in the county of El Paso and StateofColorado, have-invented an Improved Holder and Deliverer forDrinking-Straws, of which the following is a specification.v

I have devised an improved form of apparatus for containing anddelivering straws used at soda-founts and bars, whereby the constructionof such apparatus is greatly simplified, the cost reduced, and the easeand effectiveness of operation increased. The straw holder orcontainer'is pivoted and adapted to swing or oscillate and providedinteriorly with a straw agitator of peculiar construction and operationwhich serves also for limiting the lateral swing of the holder;

and-the base of the frame. supportingthe latter is provided with deviceswhich serve a two-fold purpose, namely, to prevent escape or delivery ofstraws when the holder is in normal central position and to permit suchdelivery of and also receive and temporarily support a single straw whenthe "holder is swung laterally to its limit.

The details of construction, arrangement, and operation are ashereinafter described, and illustrated in the accompanyingdrawing, inwhich Figure 1 is a perspective view of the complete apparatus. Fig. 2is a centrallongitudinal section. Fig. 3 is a cross section on the line'33 of Fig. 2: Fig. dis an enlarged cross section V on the same line assection shown in Fig. 3, but illustrating the operation of deliveringstraws. Fig. 5 -1s a perspective view of the straw agitator. Fig. 6'

is a plan view of the blank from which the frame andbase of theapparatus are The straw container and deliverer 1 is practically acylinder pivoted horizontally in vertical supports 2 formed integralwith a flat base 3. The under side or'bottom.of

the container 1 is provided with a longi- Specification of LettersPatent.

Patented May 20, 1913.

, crimped or corrugated longitudinally, as

indicated at 6 in Fig. 4, for the purpose of imparting the requiredstifl'ness and rigidity to the parts.

As shown, the container 1 is pivoted at a point a little above themiddle, and the pivots are formed of two rods 7 which are connected attheir inner ends by a turnbuckle 8. -The outer ends of these rods areprovided with elongated lmobs 9 which serve as convenient means foroscillating thestraw container or swinging it laterally, as required toeffect the discharge of a straw.

The portionsof the rods? adjacent to the knobs 9 are provided withshoulders which abut conical projections 10 formed onthe heads 11 of thecontainer. The latter is provided with a hinged door 1? through to causedue friction between the shoulders of the rods 7 and the aforesaidconical projections .10, so that upon manipulating the knobs, thecontainer 1 may be oscillated as required.

The heads 11 are shown provided with grooves adjacent to theirperipheries for receiving the ends of the cylindrical body of the;container, as shown in Fig. 2. It will be seen that the pivot rods 7 andthe turn-buckle 8- serve, in addition to the function before indicated,to hold the heads 11 tightly engaged with the body of the -container. Bythis means: I efiect an obvious economy in the construction of theapparatus, since neither soldering nor other sup plemental means forconnecting the body and the heads is required.

The frame of theapparatus comprising thev'ertical parallel supports 2and the flat horizontal base 3 .is preferably formed in one piece orfrom a single blank which, when extended flatwise, presents the formshown in Fig. 6'. In other words, the base 3 terminates in triangular orpointed portions 2 which, when bent upward into veroscillation of thecontainer 1- shall be limited, and for this purpose a rod 12see Fig.

.of the container.

2passes through the headsor ends 11 of the container and also throughhorizontal slots 13 formed in the vertical supports 2. One end of suchrod maybe made solid and the other provided with a nut for convenienceof detachment when required. It is obvious that the rod will slidelaterally in the slots 13 when the container is oscillated or swunglaterally and that upon contact with the ends of'the slots, such swingor oscillation will be arrested. 1

The base 3 is provided with means for regulating the discharge of strawsfrom the container; that is to say, it is'provided with guards 14extending transversely of the base and having their upper edges curvedconcentrically with the ivot 9 of the container. It is apparent thatwhile the latter hangs in normal position, as indicated in Figs. 1 and3, the straws are prevented from escaping from the mouth 4 of thecontainer; but when the container is swung laterally, as shown in Fig.4, far enough to clear the concentric upper portion of the guards 14, astraw will drop out and be delivered from the mouth 4 Such straw mightbe delivered entirely outside the base 3, but itis desirable to deliverit into a support which I enables it to be conveniently selzed by theattendant of the soda-fountain. For this purpose, bars or strips 14 areprovided at each end with notches 15 adapted to receive the straw as thecontainer swings in one direction or the other. S0,.when the straw hasbeen delivered and the container i released, the latter swings back tothenoi mal position shown in Figs. 1 and 2, and the straw is leftsupported in the notches 15. The'bars or strips 14 are, for the sake ofeconomy of construction, formedas integral portions of the base 3, thesame being cut out of the base by means of dies in the operationofcutting and shaping the base as a whole. The portion of the base betweenthe guards and straw receivers 14 is corrugated longitudinally, asindicated at 3 in Figs. 1

and 2, so that due rigidity isimparted to th frame, thus enabling quitethin metal or other material to be used in its construction.

Within the container 1 is arranged a straw agitator of peculiarconstruction. It is formed of hollow rectangular portions 16 which arerigidly connected by a rod 17 that is soldered or otherwise secured totheir lower angles. The parts 16 are quadrilateral or, in other words,present a trian 1e on the upper side and also on the lower si e,

which favors the Passage of straws over their top portions and throughthe passages formed between their lower sldes and the adjacentcontracted portions 5 of the container.

This agitator is supported loosely upon the rod 12 wh1ch, a s beforedescribed, serves as a stop for limlting the lateral swing of thecontainer 1. T e agitator being" thus loose,

has a certain play vertically and laterally which avoids any danger ofinju'ryto the straws passing over and under it.

The stop rod 12 passes through vertical slots 18 formed in the heads 11of the container 1 which allows the agitator to descend a little at theend of each lateral swing or throw of the container, thus automaticallynarrowing the space between the agitating elements 16 and theadjacentparts 5 of the container at each swing. The space thus left or formedbetween the agitator and the parts 5 of the container is slightlygreater than the diameter of a straw, so that straws slide downward in asingle series, as indicated in Figs. 3 and 4.

l/Yhen the container swings back from the position shown in Fig. 4 toits normal position, the agitator. is raised slightly, since its pivotrod 12 then rests at the middle of the slots 13 in the end supports 2,which on larges for the time being the distance or space between theagitator 16 and'the parts 5 of the container. It will thus be seen thatthe agltator 16, 17, performs also the function of a guide and guard inthat it assists 1n regulating the admission of straws to the mouth orpassage 4, so that their delivery.

in the required manner and in regularsuc- 1 cession is assured. In thisconnection, it may be observed that if a straw has been delivered to thereceiving notches 15 of thel in place of the rod 12 before described.

The inner sides of the guards 14 are also shown providedwithprojec'tions 20 which may serve for confining an advertising card onthe base 3. Holders 21 for advertising W cards are likewise applied tothe top of the container,- the same being preferably formed plf lgprlngclamps in which the card may be What I claim is 1 1. A straw containingand delivering apparatus, comprisin a container. proper,'supv ports forthe same In which it is pivoted and adapted to oscillate, and meansarranged exteriorly of and beneath the same-and serving to preventdelivery'of straws when the'con tainer is in normal position andpermitting.

such delivery when the-container is swung laterally, as described.

2. A straw containing and delivering apparatus, comprisinga containerproper, vertical'supports for the same in which it is pivoted, the.pivot being applied eccentrically or between the center and peripheryof the container, whereby the latter is adapted to maintain a certainnormal position due to gravity, and means exterior of the container andfixed beneath the same and servingwhen the container hangs normallypendent to prevent escape it a straw, as described.

3. In a straw containing and delivering apparatus, the combination witha straw container proper and supports in which the same is pivoted andadapted to swing laterally, of guards fixed in positionbeneath thecontainer and consisting of bars or strips whose upper edges areconcentric with the pivot of the container, whereby saidguards serve toprevent delivery of straws until the container is swung laterally sothat its mouth passes beyond the concentric portions of the guards, asdescribed.

4. In a straw containing and delivering apparatus, the combination witha straw container proper, vertical supports in which it is pivotedeccentrically so as to swing laterally, and straw guards and receiversfixed in position below the container and having their upper portionsformed concentrically with the pivots of the container and providedadjacent tothe ends of such concentric portions with notches adapted toreceive and support an individual straw when delivered thereto at thelimit of oscillation of the container, as described.

5. In a straw containingand delivering apparatus, the. combination withvertical supports having horizontal slots, of the straw containerproper, a "rodpassing through the lower portion of the latter and alsothrough the aforesaid slots, whereby it is adapted to serve as a stopfor limiting the lateral throw of the container, as described.

6. In a straw containing and delivering apparatus, the combination withfixed sup orts, of the straw container proper pivoted 1n the latter, andan agitator arranged within the container, the same being suspendedloosely therein and adapted for free vertical movement, as described.

7. In a straw containing and delivering apparatus, the combination withfixed supports, of the straw container proper pivoted in the;latter, andan agitator formed of rectangular portions rigidly connected, alongitudinal pivot on which the same is hung loosely adjacent to themouth of the container, as described.

8. In a straw containing and delivering apparatus, the combination withvertical supports, of a straw container pivoted therein and having itsunder side constructed with a,s1ot to which the adjacent portions of thecontainer gradually converge, and an agitator arranged within thecontainer and suspended loosely adjacent to the mouth formed by theaforesaid parts, as described.

9. In a straw containlng and delivering apparatus, the combination ofthe straw container proper provided on the under side with a mouth forthe discharge of straws, with vertical -supports having horizontalslots, an agitator arranged within the container, and a pivot rod onwhich it is mounted loosely, the ends of the container having verticalslots through which such pivot rod passes and also through the slots ,inthe supports, whereby the agitator is raised slightly when the containerresumes its normal position after delivery of a straw, as described.

10. In an apparatus for the purpose specified, the combination withvertical supports of a straw container comprising a body and headshaving peripheral grooves to receive the body, a pivot rod formed in twoparts connected by an adjusting device, said rods passing through theheads. of the cylinder and the supports and having shoulders abut tingthe heads, whereby. the rods serve as pivots and also for securing theheads tightly on the body, as described.

11. In an apparatus for the purpose specified, the frame and base forsupporting the container proper, the same comprising a'flat portionhaving vertical parallel ends, and guard strips or bars formedofintegral portions of the base, the same being curved on the upper sideto adapt them to serve as retainers for straws in the container, asdescribed.

ROBERT MINARD REID.

Witnesses Aiuos W. HART, ELEANOR A. Run).

